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| Anne Riley, Author AERIE |
Anne Riley brings us
AERIE reviewed as "An enthralling blend of business, technology, and romance!" an “engrossing,
revealing look at developing technologies in the 1990s.” Riley chose to set her
thriller in the early 1990s to focus on the world before it was dominated by the
Internet. To entice the reader to turn the pages, she intertwined the business
and the romantic “entanglements.”
Prior to becoming an author, Riley worked as an accountant
where she learned about the corporate world. She lives in Oregon with her
husband, is an avid biker, and has run eight marathons. AERIE is Riley's second book and her first novel. She is currently working on a new book “to keep readers on the edge of
their seats.”
Q: What made you
decide to write a novel? And once you decided to write a novel, how did you
conceive of the plot for AERIE?
Anne Riley: I
dabbled in writing fiction many years ago when I left my job to stay at home
while my kids were growing up. But things got busy, and I put my writing away.
In 2010, my husband and I decided to take a break from our jobs and see what
this whole living thing was about. It didn’t take long for me to get bitten by
the writing bug. In 2013 I published “Elusive Little Sucker,” a little book
about my lonnnnng struggle to find happiness. I realized then how much fun it
was to write and decided to return to fiction.
AERIE was born out of my training as an accountant and my
experience in the 1980s and 1990s in the high tech arena. In college, I was
trained to look for ways in which business systems could be compromised. When I
went to work, to keep from getting bored, I would often think about how people
could cheat the systems on which I worked. The high tech arena had more than
its share of exploitable weaknesses. The most obvious to me was the clear
mismatch in knowledge between the provider of technical services and the
purchaser of those services. I realized it was not only easy, but often LEGAL
to cheat customers who didn’t know what they were buying. That is the
underlying conflict on which AERIE is based.
Q: One reviewer says,
“The author clearly knows her
way around the boardroom” and “creates a realistic, chilling portrayal of how
businesses are fought over, won and lost.” Did your experiences ‘around the
boardroom’ help to create credibility for your story?
Anne Riley: As
an accountant, I dealt with confidential financial information, and often
worked with controllers and CFOs as well as company officers. Those experiences
definitely provided me with the background needed to give my story credibility.
For me, it was less ‘boardroom’ and more ‘board members’
that were important. I am fascinated by how people are motivated, particularly
powerful people. Human beings are interesting and complex, and their
motivations are often as interesting and complex as they are. It was really
enjoyable to build characters with complicated motivations, place them in
really difficult situations, and then make them work through their challenges.
The business world provides a wonderful setting because money and power create
such a rich and volatile mix.
Q: Why did you set
AERIE in the early 1990s?
Anne Riley: I
wanted to write a story about the world as it looked before the Internet was a
daily part of our life. There are so many tools that we take for granted today
that were just coming into being in the early 1990s. Cell phones were just
starting to be used. Laptops were still new and rarely used by anyone except
important business people. Modems were the tool for communication; wireless
connections didn’t even exist. Most business emails were transmitted through
dumb terminals. The Internet was a network of education and research
institutions. Businesses linked to other businesses through slow, torturous
modem connections that were complicated and often unreliable.
In the early 1990s, technology was moving fast, and there
was a huge gap between a small number of technical providers and a vast
population of non-tech savvy consumers. The opportunities for exploitation were
huge. Also, because instant communication did not exist then as it does today,
it was easier to hide manipulation and treachery.
Q: Reviewers tout the
combination of learning about the technology of the early 1990s “with suspense, greed, fraud & bribery, mixed with a little
romance.” How do you manage to integrate back-story with your plot so that it
is entertaining?
Anne Riley: That
is the art of writing. I love reading thrillers, but I have always been
dissatisfied when an author creates the opportunity for a romantic
relationship, then leaves it unfulfilled. I wanted to write a story where the
romantic entanglements and business entanglements were totally integrated so
that each one affected the other. The book is not allowed to end until both
parts of the story are united and result in a definitive and satisfying
conclusion.
It takes a lot of effort to craft a story so that it
seamlessly moves between two disparate elements. Believe me, I spent many hours
editing for story content, character consistency as well as readability. I
think that is the thing I am most proud of about AERIE: when a reader tells me
that they couldn’t put the book down.
Q: In your bio, you mention that you are now using your
accounting degree and MBA as “sparingly as possible.” Why? (I must confess that
I don’t miss working in the corporate environment.)
Anne Riley: This
is such a good question. I went into accounting because I was good at it and I
wanted a job that would allow me to work anywhere (my husband was an engineer
with more geographically limited options, so I wanted to have as many work
options as possible once he decided where to land). What I learned pretty early
in the game, was that I was not motivated by the typical desires of business
people. The technical aspects of the job were always interesting, but ambition,
the drive for profits, wealth, position, winning at the game of office
politics, these aspects of business left me cold. The parts I do love about
business: customer service, quality, fair play, creating win-win situations,
often seemed to be at odds with the management emphasis I encountered. Work
frequently ended up being a frustrating experience.
When I left my last job in 2010, I decided to examine my
values and determine what was really important in my life. I was amazed to
realize that a successful business career dropped down so low that I no longer
wanted to pursue it. What has taken its place are things that really matter to
me. Spending time with my husband. Volunteering in my community. Writing.
Biking.
Q: How relevant is
the concept of heroes vs villains to telling your story?
Anne Riley: Very
important. Conflict is the basis of my story. The heroes represent honesty and
fair business practice; the villains represent greed and dishonesty. In real
life, people are not so one dimensional, but in writing, you need to make the definitions
clear enough so the reader can get the ideas you are trying to communicate, but
not so sharp that the characters become unrealistic. It’s a fine line. I made
my heroes imperfect but likeable and worthy of respect. I made the villains
nasty but smart and worthy opponents to the heroes. Then I let them fight it
out in a battle that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
Q: How do you make
your characters engaging? Why do readers embrace your protagonist?
Anne Riley: This
is where showing not telling is so essential to story telling. I show the
characters in action, and let the readers draw their own conclusions about
them.
When I read a book, I love to observe and discover the
characters. I don't want the author to tell me what to think about the
characters or the story. I want to figure it out for myself. That is the
essence of the joy of reading. I kept this idea in mind at all times, when I
wrote AERIE. I wanted the reader to discover what was happening just as the
characters did. And I wanted to let the readers have their own opinions about
how the characters behave and how the story unfolds. I am constantly amazed at
how readers pick up different aspects of the story that I didn’t intend. I love
when that happens.
I think readers love my protagonists because they are flawed
but still worthy of respect and admiration. Sometimes they make mistakes, or
draw the wrong conclusions, or trust the wrong people. But they also treat each
other with respect, they admit when they screw up, and they don’t let failure
get in their way. These are qualities the reader can relate to and ultimately
admire.
Q: Did you write
AERIE strictly to entertain your readers, or were you also hoping to educate
them or deliver a message?
Anne Riley: First
and foremost, I wanted to write a book that a reader will LOVE to read. If a
reader is willing to part with a few hard-earned dollars to buy my book, I feel
that it’s my responsibility to give that person an experience worth at least
twice the purchase price. I hope I’ve done that. Not everyone loves every book,
but I have had enough feedback with AERIE to know that most readers find it
rich and satisfying.
For me, I love ideas and I fully admit to planting all kinds
of them in AERIE. The reader is welcome to explore them. Or not. If a reader
gets nothing from the book except a great reading experience, I am one happy
author!
Q: What’s next? Will
we see more novels from Anne Riley?
Anne Riley: Yes,
I love fiction and am working on a new book. I have come up with a whole new
set of ideas to explore, so I am busy massaging them into a rich complicated
story that will once again keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Q: Tell us about Anne
Riley. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Anne Riley: Well,
I am no longer formally employed. Writing is my favorite hobby. I try to
participate in some sort of writing related activities on an ongoing basis.
Right now, I am marketing AERIE. I’m also drawing up the plot of my new book. I
am a regular contributor with the Women’s group Women Who Rise, which is a
fantastic organization dedicated to the idea that women can succeed and play
nice at the same time. I have been a guest blogger on several websites and have
done some radio shows. I generally just do things I like to do and that match
my values. Oh, and I love to read.
I volunteer in our local community. I serve on the Budget
committee in our neighborhood (that accounting degree does come in handy) and
run our local pool in the summertime.
I started a website to encourage folks to put balls in parks
so kids can play. It’s a very informal concept but one that I wanted to
promote, so I built a website and threw it out into the world. You can take a
look at the website at playitforward-us.com.
I really enjoy physical activity, so in the summer I do a
lot of biking in the Oregon area. I really enjoy it, though I suffered a pretty
bad knee injury in April, and am only now finally back into riding shape. My
husband loves to plan multi-day bike trips, so all I have to do is carry my
pack and ride, usually a long way! I also swim and lift weights and walk. I
have run eight marathons but no longer am injury-free enough to run regularly,
so biking and swimming have been great substitutes.
My husband Tim and I have been married for 33 years and he
still makes me laugh every day. We have three children, Jim, Celeste and Erin,
all of whom have grown up and left the nest. They lead very interesting lives
and I am so proud of them for being such fascinating and unique individuals.
I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to spend
a little time with you. I have had such fun. You are most kind, and I am most
grateful!
About Anne Riley
Anne Riley lives in Hillsboro,
Oregon with her husband and better half, Tim. They are the parents of three
children, Jim, Celeste, and Erin, all of whom have grown up and left the nest.
They make their parents proud with their interesting and uniquely suitable
lives.
AERIE is Anne’s second book and
first work of fiction. It is a high-tech thriller set in the 1990s where
intrigue, deceit and greed are pitted against love, honor
and integrity. Anne’s business background as an accountant and MBA give the
book a genuine feel for the world as it existed before the Internet became a
daily part of life.
Anne surrendered to the writing
bug in 2012 when she published her first book, a non-fiction work entitled Elusive Little Sucker, My Entirely Too Long
and Totally Circuitous Search for Happiness. It is the completely true, and
occasionally embarrassing, story of how she struggled with and finally found
happiness.
Anne’s true love is writing
fiction. She will continue to write rich and interesting stories that allow
readers the chance to enjoy a delightful ride into the lives of characters who
are forced to deal with complicated problems that exist all around us in this
complicated world.
About AERIE
Liam Scofield has an idea, and it’s a good one. It
is 1991. Liam is the president and CEO of Windwear, a flourishing hiking boot
company located in Portland, Oregon. His growing company is planning to go
public, and in anticipation of future growth, he has developed an idea for a
new computer program to link his systems to those of his customers and
suppliers. Always one to evaluate an idea using expert opinions, Liam seeks out
Cara Larson, a systems analyst working at the technology giant, Pyramid, to
assess the quality of this one. Cara disagrees with Liam. It’s not a good idea,
she tells him, it’s a great one. She thinks it has the potential to become a
saleable product and earn Windwear millions of dollars.
Cara’s team begins working on the software, named
Aerie, and after early initial success, runs into problems that have little to
do with the complexities of technology. It seems Cara’s boss, Peter
Whittington, thinks Aerie would be wasted on Windwear. He devises his own plans
for the software and recruits Cara to aid him in his efforts. Then there’s
Lauren Janelle, Windwear’s beautiful in-house attorney. She has designs on . .
. well, let’s just say she has designs on many of Liam’s . . . assets.
It’s not long before Cara has to make difficult
choices about how to proceed with the Aerie project. As Cara navigates her way
through sticky ethical issues, she finds her respect for Liam growing into something
more complicated and altogether unsettling. Unfortunately, Cara’s efforts to
help Windwear take an unexpected turn. Where greed is involved, even good deeds
can be manipulated, and Liam suddenly finds himself competing with Cara to be
the first to bring Aerie to market.
It will prove to be a painful two-front
battle for Liam. First, and quite inconveniently, he has fallen in love with
his competition. Second, and far more problematic for the future of Windwear,
he’s fighting the wrong enemy.
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Twitter: @AnneRileyAuthor
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